Anger and a Senseless murder!

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; James 1:19 

Although it is an old story it is not easy to forget.  Kayla barrowed money from her good friend Kamisha, a young lady who had just graduated from college, to buy pampers.   Later Kamisha found out that Kayla had spent the money on herself. Kamisha then demanded to be paid back, when Kayla did not pay her back an argument broke out. The argument would last several days via texting and facebook,  until the two women would confront each other in Kayla’s kitchen. According to one story Kamisha literally spilled the baby’s milk. Kayla lost control of herself and stabbed Kamisha with a knife. Although Kamisha was not killed instantly she died from the wounds while lying in a hospital bed. It was in August of 2013 that Kayla was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

It is one thing to say that anger and emotions can cause us to do regrettable things, however this was a criminal act.  We have another example from the Bible; when Moses saw an Egyptian beating an Israelite, in a fit of rage he killed him.  Moses was driven by emotions, and took action without thinking.  He was then forced to flee from his country, his home and his family.

In Psalm 37:8 we read “Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.” Paul in Ephesians 4:26, advises “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,” Most acts of violence tend to take place between people who know each other and often know each other intimately. In some cases it is the plate flying across the room that was never meant to hit someone or the forceful shake we never thought could cause harm.  Often it is with regret that theses horrific events are remembered.

None of us are exempt. We are all capable of anger and intense emotions.  However we must be slow to act in these cases.  We must plan ahead; what prudent actions we can safely take. One of my favorites is to walk away and keep walking.  However that is not always an option.  Perhaps we must close our eyes and call upon our lord for strength before we weakly give into to our emotions. We will later realize that refraining from thoughtless actions has saved our family, our friendships, our lives and even our souls.